"I think Hendry is doing a great job." - Tom Ricketts
over 2 years ago
DGU
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But wait -- there's more
What a lot of people don’t see is the tremendous amount of progress that has been made in the organization over the last few years. We have a lot of very talented guys coming up through the system. Jim has built an incredible scouting organization. He has brought in some of the best coaches in baseball.
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
And that's not all
Ricketts went on to defend the moves Hendry has made as GM.
“It’s easy to second guess free-agent decisions,” Ricketts said, “but the fact is, from an organizational standpoint, the team is heading in the right direction and you’re going to see the fruits of that in the next few years.”
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
It seems to me like Ricketts really knows baseball well.
The article sums up what’s great news for the Cubs:
General manager Jim Hendry is here to stay.
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
Actually,
it’s pretty much nonsense. If he was here to stay, then he’d do a Hendry extension now, as well as his executives, and lock up the brain trust for the foreseeable future.
This is what owners say publicly to a few thousand fanatics that they’re trying to cull discretionary dollars from. It’s hardly news worthy. Oh wait, Melissa Isaacson wrote it, so I know it’s not.
by Damen Jackson on Jan 17, 2010 5:42 PM CST up reply actions
Oh come now.
Don’t spoil the fun.
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
And just FWIW...
… Hendry already has an extension, that he signed after the 2008 season. It runs through 2012. I doubt any new owner would extend past that, even if he wanted Hendry to stay beyond that.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
2010 will determine...
…whether this is true or not, and frankly, I wouldn’t expect Ricketts to say anything differently than he did about Hendry – at this point in time.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Although I agree with Ricketts
I am looking forward to the comments from those who don’t!
by doofus cubs guy on Jan 17, 2010 4:14 PM CST reply actions
glad to see an owner standing behind his employee
and I for one am glad that Hendry is safe. He has been the best GM (based on wins/loses) we have had.
Just because you talk a lot doesn't mean you're saying anything. dtpollitt 1-7-10
There's no doubt in my mind...
… that Hendry will be re-evaluated at the end of this season. Unless the Cubs make progress — i.e. return to the playoffs and win at least one playoff series — I think Ricketts may make a change then.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
by Al Yellon on Jan 17, 2010 4:19 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
which is reasonable
play the season, have a meeting and see what each side thinks of the current and future situation of the team and go from there. that is a fair thing IMHO
Just because you talk a lot doesn't mean you're saying anything. dtpollitt 1-7-10
as well there should be
but for me, it’s important that Ricketts be clear what he’s looking for in a GM. You don’t want to get in a situation, for example, where the Cubs are far enough back that they should sell, but Hendry is left feeling like he can’t seel for fear of missing some artificial win total to keep his job.
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
I'd like to see how Greg Maddux develops in the role he's in
before being absolutist about what to do.
There’s also something incoherent to me about this “baseball mind” rhetoric. How do you define a “baseball mind”?
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
Someone who has some experience in baseball
Not necessarily playing or anything like that, but someone with experience in a front office.
unlike Hendry?
hiring someone to tell Hendry what to do, might as well fire Hendry, otherwise it doesnt make sense.
Personally, I stick with Hendry and let things ride for now
Just because you talk a lot doesn't mean you're saying anything. dtpollitt 1-7-10
I wouldn't expect him to sit around and tell Hendry what to do
But when they’re evaluating Hendry at the end of the year, they’ll be looking at more than just won/loss record. They’ll be evaluating quite a bit, including the organizational philosophy, which I’d rather have a “baseball mind” judging instead of Tom or Crane.
Maybe the new hire decides to give Jim a ten year contract. Who knows. I’d just feel more comfortable with one above Hendry. Let Crane work on the business side, and the new guy work on the baseball side.
and the money spent on this guy to be above hendry
is money that possibly would no longer be available for players. no thanks.
Just because you talk a lot doesn't mean you're saying anything. dtpollitt 1-7-10
We should have just moved Aaron Miles to that position.
He had a baseball mind. Er, has.
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
and tons of FO experience as well
He’d never fire Jim after that contract he received last year though, so that would probably be in your and other Hendry fans best interest.
Why can't Hendry be that "baseball mind" to evaluate the organizational philosophy?
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I believe so, but why does that matter?
Maybe I misunderstood but I thought you said you’d rather have to a baseball mind to evaluate the organizational philosophy.
Under the current structure, Hendry is the highest ranking “baseball mind”, so what precludes him from making that evaluation?
And if you don’t like the idea of Tom or Crane evaluating Hendry because they’re not baseball people, they’d still have to evaluate the baseball mind they brought it to evaluate Hendry, wouldn’t they? Would they be qualified to do that?
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
All I'm trying to say
is that there’s going to be a President (most likely) evaluating Hendry as a GM. I’d prefer that the President have long term experience in a baseball front office.
No, you misunderstand the hierarchy.
Kenney is team president.
They have a VP of business operations (Mark McGuire). Under McGuire there are quite a number of department heads.
As of now the Cubs do NOT have a VP of baseball operations. It’s very possible such a person could be hired after 2010. Both that person and McGuire would report to Kenney.
Hendry would then report to the VP of baseball ops. Right now he reports directly to Kenney.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Ok, thanks for clearing that up
Then let me say I’d like the Cubs hire a VP of baseball ops with front office experience.
but you still have the VP of Baseball Ops
reporting to the President of the team. Who evaluates that guy?
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jan 17, 2010 8:27 PM CST up reply actions
who isn't exactly
a baseball expert.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jan 17, 2010 8:53 PM CST up reply actions
The owner's job isn't to be an expert
He hires the experts. You don’t want someone who thinks they know the sport better than the people working under him.
And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.
I'm just saying
that if the worry is about having non-baseball people in charge of baseball people, because they can’t evaluate them well, then who evaluates this VP of baseball operations, if not a non-baseball person?
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jan 17, 2010 10:54 PM CST up reply actions
circular reference?
Just because you talk a lot doesn't mean you're saying anything. dtpollitt 1-7-10
The owners of virtually all baseball teams...
… are not experts in baseball. They hire people to be baseball experts for them. The Cubs wouldn’t be unique in this.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I'm fairly sure
he’s being absurd to illiustrate the absurd.
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
10 BCB points for you
how close are you to the BCB Snuggie? :D
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jan 18, 2010 11:06 AM CST up reply actions
It's going to be a while before I get back to Snuggie level.
I traded in my points for the Limited Edition Precious Moments Lou Piniella figurine.
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
is that the one that plays
“My Sharona”?
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jan 18, 2010 11:11 PM CST up reply actions
Not supporting or defending Hendry but,
should he be fired if Soto hit’s .218 or Soriano hits .240 or if we have injuries? I’m just saying some things are out of his control, the players have to perform. Maybe the entire minor league organization is going strong and Ricketts really does like where the franchise is headed, do you still let him go? Change just for change sake?
This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).
Injuries perhaps
I disagree about the underperforming players. If the Cubs miss the playoffs again (with a 140 million dollar payroll), someone’s going to be held accountable. I wouldn’t call it change for change sake if that occurs.
He's the grand kool-aid pourer!
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
wow
an owner who takes time to evaluate the facts and make a reasonable decision isn’t going to go over well here these days…
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jan 17, 2010 4:44 PM CST reply actions 5 recs
i am shocked that
there is not a “sell the cubs ricketts” site with all the negative reaction to his every move in his short time as owner.
Just because you talk a lot doesn't mean you're saying anything. dtpollitt 1-7-10
I'm afraid you are right Drew.
OK I don't know shit about basketball.
by SoulEater7 on Nov. 5, 2009 9:51 PM CST
Well, what is he supposed to say?
Which is not say that I don’t tend to agree with his assessment. From afar, the Ricketts family looks like they are off to a good start.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
@Twitter as @brommmietze
Eh?
I’ll be the first to say that I don’t care for Jim Hendry. That’s not to say that I think nothing positive has come out of his tenure with the team. The previous decade was the most successful decade for the Cubs since the 1930’s where the Cubs appeared in the 1932, 1935 and 1938 World Series. When you consider that there hadn’t been a postseason series victory between 1908 and 2003, there’s a lot to be said about what has happened in this organization.
Hendry’s moves have paid dividends for the most part when you factor in that the Cubs won three division titles (2003, 2007 and 2008). I think it’s easier not to see any of this as success because we’ve been without a World Series title as a franchise for so long. There’s a lot to that because in the World Series era, you’re not only judged by your titles, but how many. In the time that we last won a World Series, we’ve been eclipsed by the success of many franchises. We’ve put Hall of Fame players on the field, but to no avail. We’re still without a World Series title. We roll the dice in free agency and what did we get? We don’t even have a pennant to show for our efforts.
Get a World Series title and Jim Hendry looks like the genius that finally brought one to Wrigley Field. After overreacting to the 3 and out against the Dodgers? Jim Hendry looks like a complete doofus. He still has a lot to make up for that one, but Ricketts is probably correct to stick with Hendry for now. He has shown more patience than I would.
And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.
there's a lot of people
here who don’t do as much analysis as you have before deciding that the Ricketts are already losers.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jan 17, 2010 8:29 PM CST up reply actions
I don't think they are
We haven’t even seen one season under their ownership.
And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.
go check out the post
about the possibility of the Cubs moving spring-training to Florida, or signing Dye or Contreras.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jan 17, 2010 10:55 PM CST up reply actions
I've seen plenty
I’m a pessimist at heart, but I’ve seen enough from people to make me look like an optimist.
And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.
Green it up!
Some men learn through what they read. Some men learn through what they're told. Some men have to piss on the railroad tracks. And some men keep on pissin'.
Can't wait for BLou to chime in on this discussion!
"I always tell the truth -- Even when I lie" -- Tony Montana
His brain is unable to make sense of Ricketts' comment.
In BLou’s mind, the words “Hendry” and “good” cannot be used in the same sentence. He doesn’t actually believe someone said that.
Some men learn through what they read. Some men learn through what they're told. Some men have to piss on the railroad tracks. And some men keep on pissin'.
at least not without
an “is not” in between them…
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Jan 17, 2010 8:29 PM CST up reply actions
Well, at least he didn't say ""Hendry, you're doing a heckuva job"... ;-)
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
A lot of what happens with Hendry after the season may result from 2 things...
1) How the Cubs finish…
2) How comfortable Tom Ricketts gets in the owners role.
IMO
I think JH has one season to turn it around.
If the Cubs play badly Ricketts will not want the fans to turn on him already.
As far as what he said about Hendry, of course he had to say that!
What do you think he going to say, " Wow, I am worried about JH!"?
If they make the playoffs or just have a great year JH is safe. Anything else and I think he is gone along with Lou.
He had to go out of his way to defend Hendry's free agent signings, even as Hendry was taking the blame?
And why hype the farm system so much if he didn’t believe it?
No, I know it hurts for some Hendry-haters out there, but Ricketts is drinking the proverbial kool-aid. He could have just said, “Jim Hendry has gotten the Cubs to the playoffs 2 out of the last 3 years, and that’s the kind of standard we expect to keep.” But he didn’t. He just kept going and going and going with the praise.
"We’re going to come back here next year healthy and do what we’re supposed to do, and we’re going to be all right. That’s not Hendry’s fault. He thought it was the right move. It didn’t work out. But at the same time, he’s the same guy that put back-to-back championship teams together." - Aramis Ramirez
SCHWING!
Hendry uberalis!
"I'd rather hit home runs you don't have to run as hard." -- Dave Kingman
by BucknerKongCardenal on Jan 18, 2010 7:40 PM CST reply actions
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